Community Mural Workshop

 

It’s certainly the most perfect spot for a workshop, the new Lead-up base in Finca la Azotea (Jocotenango, Guatemala). It’s an oasis of peace and soothing greens, especially after cycling through heavy traffic on the busy streets of Antigua. Fourteen adolescents got together for my workshop on how to create a community mural. Some are high-school students from Los Patojos with an interest in the arts, there were a few Lead-up champions and some who are already established artists themselves, such as Samuel, Chiripa and Denilson of Urban HeArT.

Although the workshop was on how to create a community mural, we left the artistic part aside and focused on what is maybe the hardest part: how to turn your mural project into a true collaborative work of art. We started with strategies to define the people who benefit from the project and their interests and/or issues within their community. Once the target group and their wishes are established, we can focus on the theme. A lot of the issues that will come up during this phase will be negative ones, such as violence, contamination, poverty, corruption or domestic abuse. If such an issue will be the theme of the mural, the challenge will be to turn it into a constructive and positive message, and translate that into a striking visual. Not an easy task!

Next on the agenda was to talk about how to deal with volunteer painters. As the leader of a mural project, you’re not only responsible for the creative process, but also in charge of coordinating the volunteers in a way that will make them feel involved and appreciated. We talked about what language (not) to use, how to be conscious of our body language and how to be inclusive. We specifically talked about how to work with children and how to secure their safety and wellbeing wile in our charge.

The last theme was on how to make a design that is of a high artistic quality but easy to implement with a large number of unexperienced volunteers. I shared some techniques I have used in the past that might be helpful to someone someday.

The workshop wasn’t al talk. In between each topic we did a little painting. The first assignment was to paint something beautiful (non-figuartive) on small pieces of paper. Quickly, so as not to over-think it. The next step was to repeat the same, but trying to paint something UGLY! This is much more difficult because we all have this natural tendency to create something beautiful.
Step three was to compare the “pretty” pictures with the “ugly” ones. It was quite obvious that the “pretty” pictures contained bright colours and clearly defined shapes. The “ugly” ones were much darker, no white coming through. More abstract and less figurative. There were definitely differences between the two piles of paintings, which, we might conclude, means there are some universal preferences, despite our different tastes and styles. Interestingly, the “ugly” paintings were done in a much freer style. Some were crumpled up, in some the paint was scratched with the back of a brush, others stamped, smudged or folded.
The last part was to divide the group in two and make a quick collage, using both the “pretty” and “ugly” paintings. The goal was to show how something “ugly” can be transformed into something beautiful and how to make a collective work of art making equal use of everybody’s input in a very short time with limited supplies. The final results were very different, but equally beautiful.

Next step is to do some real mural painting! In December I’ll paint no less than three murals with the youth of Urban HeArt in their neighbourhood Vista Hermosa, where we painted a mural at the entrance of the barrio, just a year ago. Looking forward for it!

A big thanks to all the participants of this workshop for their input; to Katie and Lead-up for the use of their wonderful space, to Denilson & Co of Urban HeART and of course to Dutch foundation Colour4Kids for sponsoring this workshop and the upcoming murals.

A Happy Hospital

Tessa de Goede

You don’t normally think of a hospital as a “happy place” but this one sure is. Clínica Los Tulipanes is located on the outskirts of Antigua Guatemala and caters solely to children with cleft lip or palate. Tessa de Goede, founder of the NGO Tess Unlimited that runs the clinic, made her dream come true by now having her own place where children receive the best care they can get. For years, Tessa brought in medical teams to do the surgeries on location, which was always complicated and rarely comfortable. Now the children receive surgery in a top of the bill location, as well as any other care they might need. Think a special milk program for new-borns, psychological consultations for the parents, speech therapy and dental care for the older children. Tessa managed to turn a clinical space into a warm home with lots of details that will most definitely bring a smile to anyone’s face.

I feel honoured to have been involved in the art design part of this project. The opening of the hospital was much delayed due to the pandemic, but that gave me all the time to paint cute animals (al with cleft lips!) in the recovery rooms. Earlier this year I painted some animals in the dental clinic, including an installation that hangs from the ceiling, depicting a hole in the ceiling that opens up to the sky. That and the butterflies that hang from it give the children something to look for while in the dentist chair.

Just last week I painted, on Tessa’s request and kindly sponsored by the Dutch foundation Podia4People, a large map of Guatemala. It’s actually a cork-board that will be used to pin down the hometown of each patient. Next to it a quetzal, the national bird of Guatemala. A perfect spot for selfies, of course!

It’s wonderful to have seen the clinic transform from a construction site into an buzzling beehive of activities. Dozens of children have already benefited from this happy place, and dozens more are on the waiting list.

Does that mean that my work is over? Thank goodness no! The next step is to build a temporary home for patients’ family. Tessa and team laid the first brick last week, so the work has begun. And contrary to the clinic, there are not so many healthy and safety regulations to take in account, so we can go as crazy as we want. Looking forward to it!

Many thanks to Colour4Kids and People4Podia for sponsoring!

A Jungle in the Making

 

We're half way there!!! The jungle scene for kids with special needs is in the making! But we still need to cover the cost of about 30 square meters! You can help out my sponsoring 1 square meter (approximately 10 square feet) for only €/18! 

You can donate through the Go Fund Me page, or through Paypal (see the Donate button on this page). For more information, please see the previous post. Next update from Guatemala, I hope!

Or watch my sill video, with special effects and all:

Walls in Guatemala Looking for Sponsors

 

It's that time of the year again! 

Although it's still summer in my current part of the world and raining there where the other half of my heart belongs (Guatemala), I'm already planning for my upcoming trip to the Land of Eternal Spring. I’ll be there for a couple of months from November on and of course painting a few murals is on top of my list of things ro do. I have a few requests for community murals and while I'm willing to put in my time and expertise, I'm still looking for sponsors help cover the costs. 

One of the projects still looking for $$$ is this one…

When you think of Maya people, it is usually in the context of remote villages high in the
mountains or deep in the jungles of Guatemala. But most Maya nowadays live in cities. And not only in the capital, but in countless smaller towns, rarely visited by tourists. San Martín Jilotepeque is such a town and if you don't have a special reason to visit, you won't get easily get there. I've been there often enough because a friend of mine, Cristy Velasquez, runs a dog shelter there and I bring some donations whenever I can. (Or paint her some dogs, as you can see here…) Cristy takes care of hundreds of dogs on her own and it's a real uphill battle. As often as possible, she organizes a spay clinic to combat the overpopulation of stray dogs and cats. She runs these clinics from a nearby school building, which is how I learned about the existence of Escuelita de Educación Especial…

This is a very special school. It currently has about 40 students who come here daily for their lessons, activities and therapy. All students have disabilities and require individual guidance. Ages range from 4 to 25, their disabilities from autism, ADHD, deafness to paralysis.

The school itself has a spacious courtyard. Perfect for a bit of play, but the walls are very bare. Because the students of this school rarely go out, let alone venture out in nature, the plan is to paint a jungle scene with a lot of fauna and flora on the entire wall (22 meters long and about 3 meters high). The painting will make the room appear larger and the greenery will have a calming effect on the students and will make them feel like they are no longer trapped in a concrete jungle.

Any donation towards this project goes towards:

• Materials (paint, brushes and other supplies)

• Material for plastering the wall (the plastering itself will be done by volunteers from San Martín Jilotepeque)

• Compensation for (local) assistant

• Travel costs to and from the destination, within Guatemala

• Accommodation during the painting process

This project is planned to be completed in November-December 2022.

If you are interested in contributing or have any questions, please let me know by email: info@carinsteen.com

You can also donate through Go Fund me, clicking here.

Stay tuned for the next project in need of YOU, coming to you SOON!

Macaw Visits

 

Entering Honduras was somewhat strange: instead of the expected tropical heat, the colour of the sky turned from a brilliant blue into a drizzly grey as soon as we crossed the border. And then it started to rain! Quite odd for the month of December. Fortunately, it was just that one "cold" and wet day. Copán was otherwise nice and tropically hot.

And I know that heat all too well, because I have lived in this village for seventeen years! My last visit was a six years ago. Not much seemed to have changed. A few new businesses opened up, others are gone. Friends still the same, though we all have a gained few extra pounds and wrinkles. How nice to be "home" again!

But there wasn't much time for visiting friends and nostalgic musings, because there was work to be done! After all, I came here to paint a mural. This time for Casita Copán, a children's home and day-care that I have seen grow and flourish over the years. Nearly forty children live in small family units and meet at the shelter during the day for lunch, tutoring, recreational activities or any other help they may need. I have always wanted to create a mural for Casita Copán. When I heard a few months ago that their dream had come true and they had been able to buy their own building, I knew the time had come. I asked director Emily Monroe if she was interested and her response was so positive that we immediately started making plans. Thanks to the financial support of Colour4Kids, it all worked out.

Emily sent me pictures and ideas for inspiration. Children having fun, nature, Copán, being together, playing, Casita's dog Vishnu, lots of colour and joy. I got to work in Photoshop and Emily, her staff and children all approved the design at once. The wall was of unfinished concrete blocks, so it needed tobe plastered first,  a task Emily's staff would take on, with the material costs covered by Colour4Kids. A week ago it was time to get started. What a lovely long, white wall! A 13.5 meters long blank canvas. Nothing makes me happier!

With the help of  Catherine and two adolescents from Casita Copán, Estrella and Naun, we started painting the wall. It all went very well. Not a single setback and the working conditions were fine too: not too hot, shade from the trees, water and a toilet nearby. We were also offered lunch by Casita Copán every day. And very special was thescreeching of the scarlet macaws (Ara macao) that hung around in the trees around the property and regularly flew over. These birds were already flying around at the time when the ancient Mayans built their temples and palaces in the valley of Copán. The scarlet macaw represented the sun god and is considered sacred in Maya culture. Like many exotic birds, it was threatened with extinction, but thanks to the Macaw Mountain bird park in Copán Ruinas, some of their rescued birds began breeding. So many, that they could be released a few years later.

Macaw Mountain also began caring for the birds in the archaeological park. These were traditionally fed only dough, whereas the birds need lots of fresh vegetables, fruits and nuts. It wasn't long before the skinny and bald birds (they picked their feathers out of boredom) started flying around there too. To protect the birds, the people in the valley need to be involved. So an educational program was set up, Guaras en Libertad, to teach 10,000 school children in the valley about the cultural importance of the scarlet macaw and how to protect the animal, in collaboration with a number of local organizations. I was also involved in this and it is heart-warming to see how now more than 80 macaws fly freely about the village and archaeological park. They are the pride and joy of the village. A scarlet macaw could not be missed on the wall!

Three days later, we were done. Emily came with her staff and children from the home to see the result. We received presents and said goodbye. What a pity that this project ended so soon!

Many, many thanks yet again to the Dutch foundation Colour4Kids for sponsoring this Mural. Thanks to Emily, Zoila and the rest of the staff of Casita Copán for taking such good care of us. To Naun and Estrella for helping paint. To Catherine for her help all around. To the scarlet macaws for accompanying and inspiring us. Ad to Copán for just being Copán. Always!

Water on a Wall

The result!

It all took a Little longer than planned, but that’s nothing new in Guatemala. What matters is that the mural is up!

We started a couple of weeks ago with a series of workshops for the members of Urban HeART (see previous post for more information on this initiative). The kids learned a bit about murals throughout the history of art which was fun and something the kids knew little about. Each participant received a copy of the manual I wrote last year on how to create a community mural from scratch. We discussed the theme and all agreed that water would be it, since the mural was going to be the backdrop for the local pila, the public washing place. Many households in this neighbourhood lack running water, so a place to do laundry (think many kids, and even more dirty clothes!) is not just a necessity, but a hub of activity.

Art workshop with the Urban HeART members

The wall, cinderblock with many coats of paint, was in pretty good shape, but since it is in such close proximity to the audience, I decided to give it a smooth finish, in order to work in lots of details in the design. We all got together to plaster the wall, something none of us had done before. It turned out my talented assistant Henry was quite good at it. Much better than me, but it turns out anybody would be better than me at plastering.

Plastering

Unfortunately, the product I tend to use (the marble dust in it results in the most delightful of smooth surfaces!) was not available. I got something else, exactly the same according to the vendor, except that it wasn’t. Not half as smooth, and worse, it doesn’t dry as fast, so the actual painting was delayed with a week. But on Monday the day was finally there…

Painting...

It was quite cold when I arrived at 7.30am. With temperatures falling during the night to a chilly 12°C, a cool breeze and the sun still hiding behind the mountain range, it was a bit unpleasant, but as soon as the sun peeked over the mountains, the temperature went up quickly. I started out drawing a 1 x 1 meter grid. I had divided the design in vertical patches, which would make it easier to work with a big group, side by side. About 10.30am I was joined by Henry and 5 members of Urban HeART, plus a few kids from the neighbourhood who also wanted to help out. We made great process and wrapped up the work at 5pm, just when the sun disappeared behind the mountains in the West, immediately cooling down the valley with its absence.

Day two started pretty much the same. The two small boys were back and couldn’t wait to get started. Would we be able to finish the mural that day? It looked like we would, but it’s always hard to tell. But we did! At 5pm we had the whole wall finished and varnished.

The mural depicts various appearances of water, mixing modern day problems of pollution with ocean life and ancient Maya imagery. On the left, next to the water drops, are three midwives performing a purification ritual with water, as it appears in the Maya Madrid Codex. 

Next some coral reef as found it this part of the world. To the right, a whale, also to be spotted on the Pacific coast of Guatemala; a pelican; and a canoe with ancient Maya spiritual beings, based on a finely carved bone found at Burial 116 in Tikal. Two paddlers, the old Jaguar God who represents Night, and Stingray God (Day) manoeuvre a canoe that represents the Milky Way towards the Underworld. In the middle of the canoe sits the dead Corn God, accompanied by an iguana, howler monkey, parrot and peccary, who represent the constellations, making the whole scene a representation of the world as it tuns.

The pelican, native to Guatemala, can be seen as a symbol of freedom and eternity.

It was a wonderful experience working with the Urban HeART youth and get such positive feedback from the community. The location couldn’t be more perfect, it’s THE place where people meet, wait for tuc-tucs or gather together. It was a joy and an honour to leave this mural to the community of Vista hermosa, Jocotenango.

Rests me to thank all those people without whom this mural wouldn’t have been possible: the Dutch organisation Colour4Kids and the people behind it, Erik, Jos and Hassan: thanks for sponsoring this project. Thanks to all of Urban Heart’s members who participated in the project, especially Denilson Larios and Katie Pokorny for setting it all up. Many thanks to Henry Calel for always being there and to Catherine for lending equipment and transportation. ¡Mil gracias!

Urban heART

 

Mural by Urban heART artists and collaborators at the bus terminal in Jocotenango

Visitors to Guatemala often name the vibrant colours as one of the most striking features of this country. True, up to certain extent. The typical dress of Maya women; bougainvillea in a shade of pink that’s eye-blinding; tropical birds; a dozen shades of blue, purple and turquoise at Lake Atitlan… But for most Guatemalans it is the dull grey of cinder blocks that dominates their surroundings.

Barrio Vista Hermosa in Jocotenango is no different. This neighbourhood on the outskirts of Jocotenango is located next to a dumping ground. The neighbourhood is nicknamed El Papelillo (“Piece of Paper”) for the remains of paper and plastic that whirl around when the wind stirs up the garbage. Vista Hermosa (“Precious View”) it is, looking out over the valley, but that’s as far as beauty goes. Houses are built against a mountain slope without much thought for aesthetics or safety, just wherever there is an inch to spare. Poverty, drugs, lack of water and electricity, limited access to school or health facilities are the norm in this “typical” neighbourhood. Vista Hermosa is divided in territories run by gang members and drug traffickers. Up until recently you couldn’t just go anywhere nearby. Even the police wouldn’t enter the neighbourhood, unless in a massive operation. You couldn’t even cross the football field. That corner of the field was most definitely a red zone. Not the best of places to grow up in. But things are changing…

Denilson and Yorman

Yesterday I had the pleasure to go on a tour guided by Denilson Larios and Yorman Vega, two young men from this community who have decided to make a difference. Their initiative, Urban heART, aims to change the community through the arts. Yorman told me how he met Denilson when they were small kids with nowhere to play. They hung out with the bigger kids around the fountain on the main square. Most of those older guys had little to look forward to and were involved in drugs and delinquency. Denilson and Yorman might have followed the same path if they hadn’t enrolled in an afterschool project that offered creative courses. And that’s how Denilson became a mural painter and Yorman a break dancer. 

Yorman and Denilson at the football field in Vista Hermosa

In collaboration with Lead Up International and inspired by successful mural projects in Comuna 13 in Medellín, Colombia, Urban heART’s uses the arts (mural painting, paste-ups, break dancing etc.) to make a difference. And it is working! Already many depressing grey walls have turned into an explosion of colour with meaningful and positive messages. The football field looks much more cheerful these days. The pila, the public laundry area, has been cleaned, repaired, painted and provided with light and plants. The effects of Urban heART’s efforts are already visible: the grassy area in front of one of the murals used to be a dump. After a clean-up campaign organised by Urban heART, the grass is still, surprisingly, neat and clean. During our tour we spotted a small mural high up a wall. Denilson told us it was recently painted by a kid that lives in the house, who painted the mural hanging upside down from the window! A little later we saw another brand-new mural painted by the same kid, next to his front door. Heart-warming.

Spontaneous murals...

Yorman told us how a while ago at the central square of Jocotenango, he was approached by some of the “bad” guys.  For a moment he thought they were going to rob him. But no. They asked him whether he was one of the people involved in the mural project. When he confirmed it, they said that was cool. And if they could paint the houses on their turf, on the “wrong” side of the football field too? Things like that are priceless and means the project works.

Walls awaiting future mural project at the "wrong" side of the football field.

Denilson and Yorman then led us to a small building high up the hills. Soon this will be a Lead-Up Café, a place where visitors can have a drink and members of the community participate in workshops and other activities. The place is basic, pending its renovation, but even so, the view is spectacular.

Future Lead-Up Café with paste-up art by one of the Urban heART artists.

After a breakdance performance by Yorman, the tour ended at the pila. Then it was time to talk shop because next week I’ll start a series of workshops for the young painters from this neighbourhood and together we’ll paint the 11-meter-long wall behind the pila. I’m very much looing forward getting started. Denilson and Yorman were excellent guides and the whole project is incredibly inspiring. I feel humbled to be able to collaborate!

Our wall, soon to be painted!

This project is sponsored by the Dutch foundation Colour4Kids.

To be continued!

Denilson Larios and Carin Steen